Above all others
by Saphrie
Summary: After TLK1 Nala is kidnapped and taken from the Pridelands, she ends up far from home with no memory of who she is. Meanwhile, an enemy of Simba corrupts her memory of her mate. **now finished**
1. Full of Pride

Simba lay in his favourite basking spot on the western side of Pride Rock. He stretched lazily, enjoying the feel of the warmth on his bones. The pride had all eaten well that day, with the return of the big herds had come the return of the big kills, there had been more then enough to go round.  
  
Pride Rock had its mixture of caverns, ridges, lookouts and tunnels. That was what made it such a perfect lion home. Simba rose and, with a single bound climbed high onto a little used path that led to one of his favourite look-out points. There was only one other who went there.  
  
Walking this path brought back painful memories, Mufasa had taken him along here to take his first look at his future kingdom, won that he was destined to share with his beautiful Queen, Nala.  
  
That very lioness was even now lying at the edge of the waterhole, her front paws half in the water as she rested from that mornings hunt. Nala was a very skilled huntress, she'd had to be, raised under the reign of that tyrant Scar. The gentle lioness blinked and sheathed her claws as she remembered those gloomy days, days of thinking her only love and best friend gone forever. She shook her head to dispel those thoughts, she and Simba were together now, King and Queen of their beloved Pride, surely nothing bad could happen.  
  
So deep was she in her thoughts that she was unaware that another lioness was watching her. Sarabi sat upright, away from the others as she watched the new queen start washing herself. The elder lioness was deeply content as she watched her daughter-in-law knowing that her and Simba's commitment to each other ran as deep as it had between her and Mufasa. The pride was flourishing under its new leader and she basked in the relaxed atmosphere as Chetu and Kama, Nala's two closest friends persuaded the queen to join them in a playful water fight.  
  
Simba heard the roars in alarm as he approached the waterhole, infighting, in his pride? He hoped not, and could not believe it. Food was plentiful now and the iron rule of Scar but a distant shadow. He smiled as he recognised the roars as playful and linked with the sound of water splashing. As dear as Timon and Pumbaa were, it was good to be back with his own kind, especially good to be back with her.  
  
His smile faded though when a jet of water hit him straight between the eyes! After a moment of shaking the water away he looked for the guilty culprit. The lionesses stared right back, possibly not to be outdone in innocence. Right if that was the way they wanted to play it! With a roar he launched into the water spraying them all in the process. A lengthly free-for-all ensued with as the pride cooled off from the intense midday heat of the desert son.  
  
Simba pulled himself out of the water before the others and went to lie on his favourite flat rock to dry off, he closed his eyes as the splashing sounds continued behind him.  
  
He continued to play dead as an equally soaked body rubbed up against his and he heard a gentle purring sound in his left ear as Nala rubbed her head against his mane.  
  
Feeling cunning he gave no response until suddenly he shot out a well aimed paw and pulled her down along side him. She yelped in surprise but soon settled against him as the sun warmed them both.  
  
She turned to meet his eyes, her own smiling brightly. `Its nice to see you too!' she said `Are you having a nice day?'  
  
He looked down at his bedraggled queen, still more beautiful then any other and said in all seriousness `I am now'  
  
Nala smiled as together they rose and headed back for their home, side by side as always.  
  
It was a happy moment for the couple, little did they know that it could not continue.  
  
(Review if you would like me to continue!) 


	2. She was the prize

Legal disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Authors note: thanks for all your great comments! I will try and post as often as I can. If you want to know what happens then I am sorry but you will just have to read on! All I will say is that things will get darker for our fav lion king and queen, but then again this is based on TLK1 so nothing new there!  
  
Simba awoke suddenly as the first gentle rays of sun began to creep over the plains. The pride had all slept together that night, huddled in the large cavern directly underneath Pride Rock to keep warm after the sun went down. As he looked round in the gloom he could see a sea of golden fur which made the other lions indistinguishable from each other at that moment.  
  
Sarabi and Saratani were huddled up together on the northern side of the cavern, that was their spot, and no one would dispute it.  
  
However even though all looked peaceful Simba knew something was wrong and as he looked around he cursed himself for not recognising it earlier, he had just become so used to it....  
  
Nala was gone from his side. The rock they shared together was empty except for him. He rose quickly and had a glance at the others around him to see if she was among them. She was not. Quickly he made his way round the still sleeping pride and came out at the cavern entrance on the plateau below Pride Rock. There was still no sign of her. Using his nose he tracked her scent to the edge of the savannah and then lost it almost instantly in the tall grass.  
  
At the extreme boundary of the Pridelands walked a solitary lioness who had travelled far since leaving her mate's side in the early hours of the morning. Nala, ever since the death of Mufasa and his heir had always been a wanderer since cubhood. Her total misery over the death of Simba had made her an outcast from the rest of the cubs and, wanting to do anything to avoid Scar she had taken to going for long walks alone. As she had matured, and even with the return of Simba, Nala still retained her desire for solitude on these occasions.  
  
There was also the fact that she now walked through these lands as Queen. As Chief Huntress, it was also her job keep an eye on where the big herds were moving, the state of the waterholes and good lookout points. Almost without realising it she went into stalking mode, her padded feet making absolutely no sound on the soft grass. She came across a small Gjani mouse and lazily pounced on it, soon after letting it go, such fare was insufficient for a lion, she would eat with the rest of the pride when they hunted later.  
  
As Nala turned for home, back to Simba and her friends, she realised for the first time in her life that she actually felt as if she was going *home* not just back to a prison.  
  
Simba was pacing at the top of Pride Rock, where had she gone! Was it customary for lionesses to do this? Again he felt his frustration that arose due to the fact he had not been raised with his own kind. The very top of his home gave a unhindered view of his kingdom for miles in every direction. Yet he could see no beloved golden blur back moving through the grass. Even though he had not been raised by Lions instinct was still strong and from deep in his chest came a roar that could have no doubt as to its meaning. It was the mighty cry of a leader calling solely for his mate.  
  
Nala, now firmly within sight of Pride Rock heard the call and smiled, she knew as he did that the call was for her alone as was her own reply that she threw back.  
  
They met at the base of the rock in a tumble of fur and paws. All royal dignity was forgotten by Simba for the moment, so glad was he to have her back with him.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Unknown to both Simba and Nala, at the edge of the Pridelands had gathered a group of lions who could barely call themselves a pride. They were a rogue pack who had travelled far in the hope of allegiance with King Scar, then news had spread like fire of his death and of the fast growing legend of the new, true King and his queen, who herself was legendary for her beauty and hunting prowess.  
  
The group consisted of four males and five females, now they had found something approaching a home on the very edge of the Pridelands, the male lions were restless. They needed females, not just to prevent inbreeding but to build up a pride that could rival the one whose territory they now overlooked.  
  
The two dominant lions of this unlikely band were brothers, born of the same litter and both at full maturity, the other two were barely past adolescence and had nowhere near the strength of the other two, which perhaps could have rivalled Simba's .  
  
Ketu was the more dominant of the two in a shared leadership, he was the driving force behind their aim. He had heard of the beauty of the new queen and of the resilience of the other lionesses who had just come through hard times. Those others he would leave to his brother Mukki and the other males, he wanted the Queen for himself. So arrogant was he that he had no worries that she would want to abandon her mate without a second glance and follow him instead.  
  
It was natural in the pride that the females far out numbered the males and this was never more apparent then when the females gathered for the hunt. The males would wait around for their return. Besides Simba there were two other fully mature males in the pride, one the mate of Chetu, Nala's friend and a distant cousin of Nala herself and Tamon, the other had been one of the few opposed to Scar in the old pride and had proved his loyalty to Simba by helping drive the hyenas from the Pridelands on that fateful day. He was an older lion and content just to let what was happen, he had seen enough suffering in his lifetime. There were also a handful of immature adolescent males, whose fate at the moment lay undetermined.  
  
Simba was sat with the older males now as he watched those lionesses who were going out on the hunt silently slide into the long savannah grass. He was not worried about Nala going off now, she was very strong, he knew that from first hand experience! And she was now in a group, he still wished he could be with her.  
  
Nala could feel her mate's eyes on her as she led the hunting party away from Pride Rock. But she soon forgot about him, she had to, as she attuned her senses to the surroundings, her shapr eyesight missing nothing.  
  
Today she had a plan in mind to travel right to the edge of the territory, the lush plains there had been favourite grazing grounds for all kinds of game and she wanted to see if any had returned. She had no qualms about going so far away from Pride Rock, and from Simba's protection, she probably knew this land better then he did.  
  
What she didn't know however was who awaited her there.  
  
Ketu knew the lionesses were coming near their area a long while before it was necessary to take any action. The way they were heading, towards a narrow canyon which they would have to pass through in order to reach the big game, was perfect for ambush. Even better was that the hunting group was smaller then normal and there were even no male lions following at a distance.  
  
From his vantage point his sharp eyesight easily picked up the leader. His eyes followed her graceful yet powerful figure with perfect lines and a rippling golden coat. All doubt was now erased from his mind, she was perfect and she would be his, was his! He would even go as far as to fight the King of the Pridelands for her. Not of course, that that was going to be necessary.... 


	3. Lying in wait

Legal Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters however all the other lions in this story are my creation and therefore belong to me. If you would like to use any for your own work please feel free to do so but email me first.  
  
In Ketu's mind a simple plan was forming. In order to reach the plains the lionesses had to pass through a narrow neck of rocks formed out of the cliff line on this edge of the Pridelands. Where the rocks converged was a perfect place to ambush and catch the ignorant hunting party unaware.  
  
With a swift glance to the rest of the group he communicated his intentions as he flicked his head towards the approaching party. He saw his brother's appreciative appraisal of the leading lioness and bared his teeth silently. Obviously his brother needed telling that that particular beauty was already spoken for...later. As one the group slid into the savannah grass, Ketu taking the lead as was his right. Keeping low they reached the narrow passage well ahead of the lionesses and without comment assumed positions that would ensure that there would be well and truly no escape. Ketu was the last to settle himself, choosing his hiding place carefully right near the end of the opening. They would jump the lionesses as they were nearing the end and he would ensure that there was no chance of them getting through.  
  
****************************  
  
Nala stalked at the head of three other lionesses, besides herself there was Chetu and Dasa, the latter was a very skilled huntress, there was no-one else in the pride who could match her for the first initial burst of speed once the prey had been targeted. A young adolescent lioness had also been brought along for what was only her second hunt as Nala wanted to give her more experience in a smaller party where she would have a bigger role to play. It had not been necessary to have the usual larger number of Lionesses in what was doubling as a scouting group to see if the big game had returned.  
  
No-one noticed Liata, the youngest lioness drop someway behind the others as her attention was diverted by a sudden smell on the wind, she had not yet been trained to the skills of co-ordinated group hunting, crucially: pay attention to your leader as Nala trained her senses ahead her pads flexing against the ground to detect any vibrations that might signify the arrival of the heads. As a consequence of her wandering Niata was someway behind, and lost in her own thought, as the three elder lionesses entered a narrow passageway up ahead.  
  
Even with her every sense alert Nala failed to detect anything out of the ordinary as she led the way into the narrow neck between the cliffs. For Chetu however, it was a different matter, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and inadvertently sheathed her claws. She was Nala's unofficial second-in-command but still looked to the Queen for guidance, trusting her judgement. As Nala's manner seemed normal Chetu didn't comment, even though the feeling of uneasiness remained.  
  
Silently and with their usual grace, the lionesses paced through the passageway. Nala finally picked up a sense of unease as she neared the exit. All was too quiet, even the wind seemed to have stilled in anticipation of something. But what? Nala hesitated and glanced around, the light was lost in this narrow path, long shadows were cast from the overhanging rocks. Anything could be lurking in the depths they created, or crouched behind the many scattered boulders, fallen from long ago. Indeed something was hidden as Nala realised all too late when a large male lion leapt out in front of her before she even had time to blink, he crouched in front of, penetrating eyes never leaving her face as he successfully blocked her path. Nala was at first too shocked to react, then she started backwards, turning as she remembered the others and attempted escape back the way they had come. She soon saw that would be futile, they were surrounded. Ambushed. She cursed herself for not  
realising it. Out of nowhere had come more lions, leaving the lionesses on the floor encircled, trapped and out numbered. From where she stood Nala could see another, fully mature male poised above and to the left of her and a single lioness guarding the way they had entered. Nala saw the a potential weakness there, the lioness was at full weight but surely could not withstand the combined charge of Nala and her party. As the circle closed in she saw their time was running out. She indicated the lionesses subtly to the others with a slight incline of her head. They had been watching her carefully for any sign of action.  
  
Nala settled back on her hindfeet and waited, it was not for her to take the lead, the three lionesses had hunted together countless times before and they each knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and had their routine worked out. Not for nothing was Dasa so swift on the charge from a crouch, she charged the single lionesses with force driven by desperation and fury at being caught. Nala and Chetu followed a split second later and together they sent the lioness flying even as she set herself to meet their rush.  
  
Ketu sprang to his feet as suddenly before his eyes he watched his prize and her party escape. There had been no indication of their sudden charge from where he had been standing. The speed of their rush surprised him, he realised the full power of Nala's form as she fled the canyon. He was not too dismayed by their going, it was all part of the thrill of the chase, he hadn't lost her yet by a long shot. With a load roar he and the rest set off in pursuit. None of them knew if they had all the members of the original party, that figure was ambiguous, but they had three very fine lionesses in their grasp now!  
  
Not since she had run with Simba from a pack of hyenas could Nala remember having run so fast and with such desperation. How she longed for the powerful, imposing and beloved appearance of her mate on the rocks ahead can only be guessed. As fast as Nala was she couldn't maintain her pace for long and after a short distance the wind left her and she drew up short, her lungs gasping for breath as she forced her exhausted body back into a tired run. Through her paws she could feel the approach of her pursuers. Why did they chase! Desperately she tried to stay near Cheta and Dasa in the faint hope they could fight them off together, but even that proved impossible as Nala quickly realised that the big male from earlier, the first to appear, had singled her out. Running hard alongside her he cut across her path and succeeded in driving her away from the others. They were alone. He ran alongside her as she ran slower and slower... Ketu knew it would not be long now. He was  
impatient and for the fun of it could pin her at any time...  
  
So caught up was he with Nala, surely she was teasing him! He failed to notice another lioness, one who had observed all turn and run just as fast for Pride Rock. 


	4. Out of Reach

Legal Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters however all the other lions in this story are my creation and therefore belong to me. If you would like to use any for your own work please feel free to do so but email me first.  
  
Ketu now tired of the chase, he pounced on the rapidly tiring lioness, and with a swift swipe of his powerful paw knocked her unconscious. With a thud Nala fell collapsed into the savannah grass, helpless as her captor stood over her. The male stood over her for a moment before he picked her up and slung her form over his back, leading his band with the other captives hastily out of the Pridelands.  
  
******  
  
Niata's tongue was lolling as she pounded over the ground, terrified she darted the odd look behind her in the fear that she was being followed. But no shadows leapt out of the shrub at her and as Pride Rock loomed ever closer her confidence grew.  
  
Simba had just left the waterhole and was heading home when through his pads he felt heavy rhythmic beats on the ground, he was familiar with the sensation, it was that of a running lioness. Turning immediately he ran in the direction they were coming from.  
  
As he leapt up on a rock he recognised the young lioness Niatu, who came running at him, her fur dark with sweat and a pink tongue hanging out her mouth. Her eyes was glazed and showed no recognition as she saw him and veered aside. Simba bounded after her, eventually bringing her to a stop back near the waterhole.  
  
'Si…Sim…Si…Sim…ba, there…was an…an.. amb…' The lioness was utterly exhausted, her breath was ragged, she took a great gulp of water then collapsed into the sand. All Simba had caught was his name, as the other members of the pride approached, he didn't know what, but he knew that something had gone horribly wrong. Why had this one returned from the hunt alone? Where the others in trouble. Simba snarled in frustration as he waited, he couldn't go off until he knew exactly what had happened.  
  
******  
  
As the lion walks, beyond the Pridelands bordering a grassy plain where savannah meets jungle is a system of caves, carved through centuries by winds blowing against the rock. Leopards had occupied those caves until recently when Ketu and his band had driven them out. The whole area was still known, as Chui though, after the leopards whose clawmarks still marked the walls. Prey was bountiful for the lions in this area as an underground river and waterfall meant there was a constant supply of gushing water. This water had also helped to carve the caves and tunnels that made up the cliff. And no one knew them as well as Ketu did.  
  
In one of those caves Nala, Chetu and Dasa had been taken. All three were still unconscious and so the male posted on guard, Ugali, had nothing much to do. He kept himself occupied though, with jealous thoughts against Ketu who had clearly claimed the beautiful chief lioness for himself. These recent additions have evened up the numbers so they could now be something resembling a pride.  
  
That thought was shared by Ketu who was feeling very pleased with himself and stretched out on a sunny ridge outside his own private cave. This cave was the highest one of all, and from it was a view that spread for miles, clear on to the edge of the Pridelands. It was to that direction that Ketu looked now, for even though he had, in his mind, Nala, he wanted nothing less than Pride Rock. As perfect as their current home may be it wasn't the same signal of power that Pride Rock was, besides this land was just unclaimed terrain between territories, and that was not what Ketu wanted.  
  
No doubt was in his mind that Nala would be happy to be here, to be his queen, the smile on his grew as he envisioned his glorious entry to the Pridelands as it's rightful king, with his adoring Queen Nala at his side.  
  
Of the three, one lioness finally started stirring. Nala blinked rapidly as she tried to peer out through eyes that were blurred at her surroundings. She could hear a rushing sound in the distance that she guessed was water, though she couldn't be sure. Her head was pounding, though she didn't know why, she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything! Ugali looked down at her as she said in a panicky voice 'Wh.. Where am I?' At the sound of her voice Ugali bounded away to fetch Ketu, as he had been instructed.  
  
Ketu approached Nala slowly and crouched down beside her, 'Get the other lionesses out of here' he hissed aside to Ugali 'Now you are sure she doesn't remember anything?'  
  
Ugali shrugged and left the cave, leaving Nala and Ketu alone.  
  
The lioness looked up at him, her eyes now perfectly clear, though filled with confusion.  
  
'Who am I?' she said. 'And you, do I know you? Where is this?'  
  
Ketu brought his head against hers, this was better then he had hoped for! 'You are Nala' he said gently. 'I am Ketu your mate, who is glad you are safe. You are in our home, Chui, you ran into trouble…don't you remember?' 


	5. Zuri

"I…I" Nala's speech faltered, she was weak and confused, and worried, if this lion was her mate then she surely must remember him! She buried her face in her paws as she tried to think.  
  
Ketu sat over her, he lifted a paw and traced it down the curve of her spine. "Take your time my Zuri" he said, he wanted to be absolutely sure she remembered nothing, nothing of *him.*  
  
Nala barely heard his words as she struggled with images whose full details evaded her. Besides them there was blackness, horrid blackness only broken by memories of a chase, a golden on her flank, the swish of grass as she ran, the thought of a loyal mate who out of reach…She caught that last thought and held it, she couldn't remember his face, but that voice so strong and comforting, the one who even now sat beside her.  
  
"I…there was a chase…I was running…then" She faltered again "That is all I can remember!"  
  
He could tell from her evident distress that she was telling the truth, and besides, why would she lie?  
  
"Please tell me what happened" she demanded, then he saw her eyes clear and she managed to lie upright. "Did you tell me my name?" she asked, for in her dizziness she had heard him speaking to her but hadn't been able to make any of it out.  
  
Ketu grinned inwardly, this was better then he had hoped!  
  
"It does not matter, I am just glad you are well" he said, and looked directly into her eyes for the first time, feeling he could drown in them without resistance. "Once again" he paused "Your name is…Zuri, and I am your mate Ketu. And you were right when you say you were being chased…" he looked away from her as he sighed "I am sorry" he said "But it is so good to have you back with me, I thought that I had lost you forever!"  
  
Nala, feeling better by the minute was startled "Lose me? Never!" she said with conviction that came from the feelings she remembered she had had towards her mate. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"Because an evil king from the Pridelands (he studied her carefully, no recognition) kidnapped you and some of our other lionesses in an ambush two days ago. The size of our Pride, compared to his is such that to get you back would have been a formidable challenge, but I had not counted on your own resourcefulness and courage" he said, looking at her in open admiration before continuing "Somehow you escaped the evil clutches of King Simba and were just running clear of the border with him in pursuit when I spotted you, luckily I and the others had kept a close watch on the Pridelands. He saw he was outnumbered, and I saw him off without incident" Ketu lied.  
  
Nala was now fully convinced that this King Simba was the one who had been chasing her, the story fitted perfectly, except she had no memory of a second lion chasing off the pursuer, but she dismissed it, putting it down to her faulty memory.  
  
"Simba" she said, testing the name, not knowing the sound. For a second there was something in her mind…but it had gone again and instead she looked to Ketu, her rock in this scary new world into which she had awoken yet one with which she was apparently very familiar. She trusted that it would all come back to her, and she trusted in her mate who sat beside her, protecting her.  
  
"Will this…this King Simba return?" she asked, after thanking him for saving her.  
  
"There is a good chance he may, Zuri" replied Ketu. "But news spreads like wildfire, and he may use word of your memory loss to try and convince you that you once belonged to him, and were Queen of his Pride." He looked directly into her eyes and allowed an edge of panic to creep into his voice "Please don't let him convince you, he wants you for himself and will stop at nothing to achieve that. What ever stories he tells you, remember it is I who you love!"  
  
Nala rose and placed her paw on his "I will do as you ask, of course I will, this Simba sounds horrible and I hope he never comes near this place."  
  
Simba had not moved more then two feet away from Niata since she had been brought into a cave, still unconscious. That with the undeniable knowledge that something had happened to Nala made him torn in two directions, should he go tearing off into the savannah to find her or stay her and find out what had really happened. For lack of information, he was forced to do the former. Turning around from staring at the wall he was pleased to see the young lioness coming round. He leapt forward but felt someone block his way. Sarabi glared at him, but with understanding in her eyes "That is not the way" she said "She has only just come round, let me speak to her." Simba nodded and remained at a distance.  
  
Sarabi gently approached Niata.  
  
All those in the cave watched as the lionesses murmured to each other in low voices, one hurried, the other more soothing and soft. In the end Sarabi moved away, letting her friends take care of Niata, wordlessly Simba followed her outside.  
  
They started to walk up the path that had been a favourite of Mufasa's, it was there that mother related to son everything that Niata had remembered.  
  
Simba was horrified as he stood poised right on the edge of the rock, facing the direction that Nala and her party had taken that very morning. Panic gripped at him along with a terrible sense of inaction,yet all the while Nala could be injured or even killed.  
  
"No!" he roared and leapt off the rock, clinging briefly to the cliff face on the other side before launching himself back onto yet another ledge. Each second was another in which Nala's fate remained unknown, yet he had lost another loved one in the past throw hasty action and blind panic. H ewould not this time, a lot more was needed to be known. 


	6. More then marks

Sunset had come to the lands, night was gradually sweeping its black cloak over all as a dark figure, silhouetted against the pale sister star of the one now fading, made his way to Tiran'abetna, or the Place of the Liquid Sun. It was so called because of the way the rocks there reflected the sun, and the way the water trapped within them seemed to turn to liquid gold itself. Ketu never found this more breathtaking then at sunset, when the hazy oranges, dusky pinks and soft reds of the savannah sun were cast right across the horizon. It was a sight he had hoped to share with Nala, but she had fallen back to sleep, rightfully exhausted after the day she had had, but which she only half remembered.  
  
The other lions had amassed on the various boulders, ledges and crags surrounding the water, they were not here for aesthetic appreciation, but because he had ordered them to be, the other lionesses needed to be…taken care of. Ketu wanted to be sure that they would offer Nala no key to the memories she had locked away.  
  
Osisis was the lioness who stood at the highest point, she was the one who had been leader before the appearance of Nala, she would now have to pretend that she had never been queen. Her compensation lay in the lionesses being guarded on all sides before her…if they disobeyed…well, a lion can learn new ways.  
  
Chetu and Dasa had awoken none the worse for wear, and with very clear memories of what had happened. It had been a long time since they had seen Nala, and the other males had deliberately kept them in the dark over her welfare, and Chetu was growing more frantic by the moment, all she knew was that it had something to do with Ketu, the alpha male. The one whose side she wanted to tear into, as he came into view.  
  
"You will remain silent!" Ketu declared, as Dasa opened her mouth.  
  
"Unless I ask you a direct question."  
  
"Why should we?" asked Chetu.  
  
Ketu circled them both, the other lions positioned around them in such away the effect was like they were in an arena.  
  
"So this is the obedience Simba teaches." Ketu said with a smirk. "I wonder what I worried about, his queen for example has offered no resistance of the kind."  
  
Chetu narrowed her eyes "What have you done to her?"  
  
Ketu didn't bother to silence her, his initial order had achieved its aim.  
  
"Me? I am as innocent as those eyes of yours. It was more a case, of what had already done…" he flashed teeth that would have had more of an impact, had they not been stained yellow.  
  
Chetu sprang to all feet, ignoring the assorted snarls that accompanied her action.  
  
"Look…"  
  
"Ketu" he supplied "Your majesty, to you and that one."  
  
"I recognise only one king!" snapped Chetu "And you are not he, but that is not the point, where is Nala, and what has happened to her!"  
  
"And now we come to it" Ketu said, dropping his act of charm which the lionesses had seen right through. "Very well ladies, let me state this clearly, the Nala you knew is gone, and in her place stands my queen, and beloved mate, Zuri."  
  
There were gasps from the captives.  
  
"Nala suffered an unfortunate memory loss when we, met you."  
  
"You mean when you kidnapped us!"  
  
"I will speak without interruption!"  
  
There was silence.  
  
"*As* I was saying, Nala now believes that she is the queen of this pride, and has been my loyal mate for many years past."  
  
"No!" Chetu cried, the horror showing in her eyes.  
  
"Believe it, my dear" Zetu said, walking right up to her and staring her down.  
  
"But the best is yet to come." He turned and stepped away, brushing the tip of his tail in her face as he did so.  
  
"When my band was still far away from these hallowed lands, a tale reached us of a new King and Queen of the Pridelands, who had an attachment to each other rarely seen, at least where I came from."  
  
"Why doesn't that surprise me," Chetu muttered.  
  
"Queen Nala's beauty was woven through this interesting little story and, as we ventured closer, I decided that I would like to see this diamond for myself…"  
  
Chetu gave a pointed yawn, all the while trying to crush the lumps of fear inside her.  
  
Ketu snapped a look at her.  
  
"As interesting as you no doubt are to yourself, you cannot expect every living thing that ever breathed to indulge your ego."  
  
The toothy grin returned "Oh? I don't see why not, especially when I hold power of life and death over two certain living things, that might not be breathing much longer."  
  
There was silence as he told the rest of the story, how Nala now thought of Simba as her captor and the Pridelands as little better then a prison, where she had experienced utter misery. And, even worse to her friends, that she believed all completely and utterly.  
  
"Therefore, the order is that you will remain silent about your past lives to anyone here, no mention, not even a whisper in front of the queen, you will act like you have always been a part of this group. And, to ensure that you comply, you will be guarded at all times, never allowed to be alone with Nala, who you will now refer to as Zuri, and, you will be at the bottom of the hierarchy.  
  
Chetu just stared at him "Why should we obey you?"  
  
"Foolish one, must I rename you as well, if you value your lives then I believe you will go along with this, especially if I am right that it is not only your own lives that you have to worry about." He indicated Chetu's slightly swollen body with a toss of his mane.  
  
He was right, the lionesses knew that for now they were powerless, and gave agreement while trying to keep as much dignity intact as they could. For Chetu it was the hardest thing ever, but she realised it was the only option until circumstances were more in their favour. Dasaon the other hand…  
  
"Chetu, I really don't know what you are making such a fuss about she purred. "Simba was too much of a soft touch, and here, well, I believe they have more to offer…and I certainly have more to give." She looked slyly aside at Ugali who was more then willing to return the gaze, then passed it along her body.  
  
"I am pleased to hear it" Ketu replied "I am sure that Chetu will see sense in time, and that we will be as Nala thinks, a real family unit. Now, if you will excuse me, I wish to return to my own mate"  
  
This last bit was said in such a way that left Ugali free to assume that Dasawas his, if he wanted her. There would be competition of course, but that was part of the reason why these females had been obtained in the first place. One was clearly taken, the other two free for the victor, though the thought had arisen in the mind of more then one male that Dasawould make a more…willing companion, and was certainly looking the more fun.  
  
Osisis watched from her vantage point with interest, she had her own mate, who now leapt up beside her, and consequently could watch the still silent contest with interest. Whatever happened it looked to prove no end of intrigue.  
  
******************************************************  
  
To a lion, the coming of night is not the coming of blindness, they have special eyes adapted for the task of seeing at night, though that was little help to eyes filled with anxiety as they scanned the horizon. Those eyes belonged to Simba, still sat on pride rock, wishing the clear vision he had at night would transfer to his thoughts also.  
  
Sleep eluded him, but he did not seek it anyway as he resumed pacing, all the while looking out onto his kingdom. The strongest presence around him was one who was no longer there.  
  
As he left the rocks the savannah surrounded him with a taunting silence, not the slightest breath of wind disturbed the grass and even the crickets didn't stir. There was no doubt however, that Simba would have known straightaway if they had, so alert were his senses. He swiped the sandy ground with a paw in frustration, leaving a mark where he usually would have left no trace of his passing. Without realising it he had headed towards a rocky outcrop that was one of his favourite basking spots, not that being here was any better while her fate remained unknown.  
  
A full moon now hung suspended over the horizon as he looked up to it, bathing the ground in soft light. Simba smiled sadly, remembering a story that Nala had told him about a bird who had tried to reach the moon. It also served to remind him how it was a bird that he needed, Simba could not go looking Nala not yet, he was to noticeable, and he could be bringing more danger upon her. There was one loyal friend he knew though, to whom land was no hindrance, and it was that friends returned he awaited with the coming of the dawn.  
  
As convinced as he had been that he wouldn't sleep the first appearance of dawn hurt his eyes as he awoke from a light doze. Thankfully, they also opened to a welcome sight, Zazu sat perched on a low branch in front of him.  
  
"Zazu!"  
  
"Good morning, Sire" came the reply, "I thought I could offer my assistance." Zazu didn't hang around when he knew he was needed and Simba hadn't always appreciated that when he was younger. He did now, rising up and smiling gratefully at the bird.  
  
"You read my mind Zazu" he said, knowing that Zazu was fully informed of what had happened. "And you are the only one who can do this."  
  
"What exactly did you have in mind." Zazu asked, knowing already.  
  
"I want you to go on a scouting misson, we know the direction that Nala and her party went, and the area that they were heading for. Could you go and look around?"  
  
"You don't even have to ask!" Zazu said, flapping his wings and going airborne immediately. He circled for a few minutes to get his bearing then banked to the left as a signal to Simba he was off."  
  
"Good luck!" Simba called, then more softly under his breath "And find them."  
  
******************************************************  
  
Pride Rock faded behind Zazu as he flew off in search of the lionesses, he knew the area they had been heading for, right out on the border of the Pridelands, where the big game was. Fresh in his mind was Niata's description of the canyon in which they had been ambushed and he kept his sharp eyes on the lookout for it. Suddenly, there it was, dead ahead and he wheeled in the air to descend and land on one of the many boulders scattered on the floor of the canyon.  
  
He hopped across it's rough surface, taking in the detail of the canyon. It was obvious that there had been some kind of disturbance here, the marks in the ground and the overpowering smells…he flew close to the ground, following the marks which seemed to show one lion dragging another. Zazu was barely able to retain flight when he realised where these prints were heading, right out of the Prideland, and unmistakably towards Chui. What memories that place stirred! It hadn't taken a prolonged visit to freeze that place in his mind forever. Following the tracks he now flew straight to Chui, otherwise known as playing a hunch. However, he flew in such a way as to not come directly from the direction of the Pridelands. Like Simba had said, you could never be too cautious and he had no idea of what he would find there. 


	7. By the Water

It was the second sunrise of Nala's new life at Chui and the first under which she was to step out of the cave since her capture. Blinking as she stepped from the dim light Nala looked at her.her.subjects beneath her, lazing around from the kill made hours before under the light of a full moon. Osisis was up on the dead tree, cleaning the dried blood from her paws and mouth. It made an eerie scene when combined with the crimson rays cast by the sun, and looking up to the white streaked clouds seared like wounds across the sky. How those mirrored what the Queen felt inside! Torn between what she felt and what she had been told.  
  
Suddenly she felt a shadow brush across her flank and whirled round, her mate Ketu stood there, he could have been a rock for all the motion he displayed and the expression he gave, before he smiled at her and made to lead the way down the path. Nala had nothing else to do but follow him, indeed she had had nothing else to do but be under his guidance these past days. Somehow, somewhere, nothing felt more wrong, yet for the moment there was no other option. Like in the hunting for example, he remained adamant she got a generous portion of the kill even though she had as yet no part in bringing it down. Yes, that was what she looking forward to, going back to the hunt, where she had always felt at home, no matter how much she was feeling "herself"-  
  
Whoever that was anymore.  
  
The other lions ignored their King and Queen as they walked among them, the best basking spot had been left for them automatically as Keta and Nala settled down to doze. Nonetheless Nala looked at her.her.friends as she passed, each twitch of an eyelid or flexing of a muscle another thing to register in this strange new world.  
  
As a whole the pride also paid no heed to the long shadows of the trees stretching over them, and certainly not the silent, gliding silhouette of a bird who now alighted in the furthest one. A bird whose sharp eyes also missed no flex of foot or twitch of tail. Eyes that looked on the Queen with pain and a bare second of recognition.  
  
Her posture, her very beauty was unmistakeable.  
  
Zazu jerked his head to the side nervously as she inexplicably looked up and met his eyes. In hers was blankness, no recognition of the bird she had chased over the Pridelands in cubhood, though she glanced at him a second time over her shoulder as she settled her self onto her side.  
  
That blank look confirmed to Zazu all that he had feared since beginning to observe this pride from a discreet distance all last night. Simba had wanted him to find her, but not like this surely. He had made his own right conclusions about her status in the pride and Ketu's treatment of her, though he could only guess at how it had come about from what he had seen earlier. Either way he dreaded having to report to Simba and was torn between heading straight back home or remaining to further ensure Nala'a was alright.  
  
After many minutes of indecision, in which he hopped both ways along his branch he finally made up his mind.  
  
'Well, it is obvious she is not alright,' he thought. 'And there is little I can do for her sat up here, Simba needs to know so he can help her.'  
  
With that, he stretched his wings in preparation for takeoff.  
  
"Psst!"  
  
The branch under him bounced as he closed his wings in alarm.  
  
"Zazu!"  
  
He peered down. While deep in thought he had failed to notice one lioness break away from the huddle and sneak round stand under the tree. As he recognised the voice his cursed himself for ignoring the obvious, the other lionesses that has been captured with Nala! In his observations of the day, with the shocking discovery of Nala'a fate, the other missing lionesses had slipped his mind. There was no reproach in Chetu's eyes, as he recognised her then Dasa lying some metres away.  
  
"Not here," she continued, and sprang silently away into the grass. Zaza took flight and followed her running form into the thicker foliage on the side of a nearby waterhole.  
  
They met again, and one closer look was all it took for Zazu to see that something was very wrong for all the lionesses, perhaps beyond even what he had guessed. As Chetu filled him in on his worst fears it was obvious she could find no rest, her claws were out and she rose every few moments to pace along the sandy ground, her ragged breathing echoing out through the morning air and her coat dark with sweat even though a chill remained from the night before. Eventually, as she reached the end of her story, told to a silent listener, she sank to the ground exhausted. It wasn't just from living on constant alert with high nerves as much as Ketu having personally taken measures to ensure that she and Dasa were kept busy.  
  
"What are we to do, Zazu?" Chetu wailed into the silence that followed her story.  
  
"Very little I fear" Zazu replied grimly. "At least until Simba is better informed."  
  
"And until then?" the lioness asked with a heavy heart, which already knew the answer.  
  
"I suggest you do as little to provoke this Ketu as possible."  
  
"Those are not empty words," Chetu assured the bird. "But he is so unpredictable, and can be as easily angered by one thing one moment as placated by it the next."  
  
She broke off and Zazu could see she had more to add. He stayed silent, hoping that would prompt and encourage her to disclose further.  
  
"Dasa."  
  
The name escaped her and hung between them as the sun rose higher. Then she at last continued saying, "I don't know what to make of her behaviour lately."  
  
Zazu thought quickly to what he knew of Dasa, she was one of the quieter lionesses of the Pride, but had proven invaluable both to the hunt and as a friend of Nala. Chetu seemed to read his thoughts.  
  
"She is far from the quiet shy creature I knew her to be. It is increasingly evident that she is going out of her way to fit in and seems to have switched allegiances as easily she breathes. And with just as little thought!" Chetu added.  
  
It was just more disturbing news, who would have foreseen this not more then four days ago? The Pride that had come through years of hardship to be reunited, was cruelly torn apart one again. Zazu hated this new evil, it carried the same humiliation that had been the hallmark of the reign of King Scar. And as for cruelty, well that had many forms. There was not a precious second to waste now that Zazu had a better idea of what had happened. He wondered how to communicate this to Chetu after they had spoken of Dasa, but then he realised she had her own priorities as she stood for the final time, eyes widened and back arched.  
  
"I have stayed too long!" she said. "Ugali was supposed to be guarding me, but Ketu may have discovered. He will be angry. Dasa may be awake." From her run on sentences Zazu easily picked up on her panic.  
  
"Shall I fly back with you?" he offered.  
  
"No! I wouldn't want Ketu to know that there was a possibility I had sought help. And it is imperative, and our only hope, that you return to Simba as soon as possible!"  
  
With that, and a call over her shoulder of thanks, she darted back into the grass as Zazu flew to a higher branch to watch her return for as long as possible, wondering all the while about the lion called Zetu.  
  
Zetu was also wondering, though for once, not about himself. That idiot Ugali had indeed been supposed to be watching both the captive lionesses but he had been so caught up with Dasa's sleeping figure that it was now apparent that Chetu had taken the chance to sneak away.  
  
He let out a roar that carried far beyond Zazu's tree, who knows what could have happened now, if she was aloud to get back to Simba! That was one of the things keeping her here, his promise that she could not make the boundaries before being intercepted.  
  
And now look.  
  
This assumption that she had headed for the border meant that Ketu did not find Chetu straight away, the waterhole where the lioness had met Zazu was actually in the opposite direction from the Pridelands and it was as he circled around towards its banks that Zetu spotted her walking sedately back to the others.  
  
Nonetheless he was angry, at her, at Ugali, even at Nala, it wasn't supposed to have been like this! And he sprang towards her.  
  
Chetu leapt to the side as he landed with a thud on the path before her. Silence did not come as naturally to him as it seemed cunning did. They eyed each other in silence and may have began circling had the width of the path allowed it.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" he asked.  
  
"What business is that of yours!" she spat back.  
  
He gave her the disgusting yellowed smile.  
  
"Everything, but of course you would have a good excuse wouldn't you?"  
  
"I never knew that going to drink was forbidden."  
  
"It is, for you, alone. Saying nothing of the long time you have taken."  
  
"So you've known I've been gone that long?" she said innocently. "I wonder then, that you didn't come and get me sooner!"  
  
They both knew that she had tricked Ugali, and that her absence had only just been discovered. Ketu curled his lips in distaste at not having the upper hand, or paw in this case.  
  
"Well, you can guess at what kept me distracted." He said with a wicked grin. "Zuri, your Nala, is improving everyday!"  
  
Chetu jolted back as if caught in a trap. How she hated him! She should have known there was nothing he wouldn't stoop to get his way.  
  
Opening her mouth to retort back she was stopped, they both were, by the sudden appearance of a third lion, who stared back at them.  
  
Zazu missed all of this, having taken off as soon as Chetu had faded from sight. Like an arrow fired from a bow he now headed straight for the Pridelands, trusting that he still remained undetected by the lions at Chui. He was both glad and sorry to leave that place, though something told him this wasn't to be his last visit.  
  
Truth be told, he had been tired before he had even arrived there, not daring to stop often in case time was running out. Even though there was just as much urgency to return he did at least have the knowledge that the three were alive, so at the next waterhole he swooped low and landed on a boulder overhanging the water to refresh himself before continuing. As the water slid down his thrat and dripped from his beak, Zazu knew he had been kidding himself about his ability to remain in the air, yet alone be able to tell Simba what had happened.  
  
So exhausted was he that the surroundings faded from his periphery as he gulped down the water and began to preen his feathers. He didn't notice the lazy bug that shared the boulder, or the crouching figure that now emerged from the shadows and leapt straight at him. 


	8. A Tail of Destiny

An eye glinted, blinked once and flicked suspiciously to the right.  
  
The tip of a tail twitched, barely perceptible movement in savannah night.  
  
Claws sheathed, marking history in the dust  
  
Time had moved on  
  
  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
  
  
Time had indeed moved on, and it had dragged those at Pride Rock with it kicking and screaming. The mighty king Simba's impatience had reached it limits. A direct attack on the band that had taken his beloved queen was the only option. The messenger had returned and informed him of their numbers, of the leader, of their journey.  
  
The roars proclaiming this as he gathered his numbers were swept up in the wind, in the pounding echoes of thundering herds, in the cries of the migrating birds. It was not long before the message reached those at Chui.  
  
But they were ready.  
  
"We're ready," Simba stated, his neck muscles flinching. The doubt was there as he breathed in, as he breathed out. With every step he took.  
  
"We are my liege," said one of the immature lions, his mane pathetic compared to that of Simba's.  
  
Pathetic was how Simba felt. How could he feel otherwise? He had heard of the reputation of Ketu, this lion who was more than his equal, this lion who had  
  
Nala  
  
Closed eyes didn't work against the image of her that persisted in his mind, but he suddenly found his feet working though he wasn't conscious he had made them do so.  
  
He took his place at the head of a pale sea of gold, its pale surface broken by an occasional ripple of muscle or flex of limb. There was no glance, no words, the focus was single, and went unspoken. They moved off as one, their thoughts on one purpose.  
  
The band that were lectured to listened, in one of the higher caves of Chui the powerful Ketu spoke to his band, swelled in numbers beyond the captured ones. Battle went beyond his words, it was a living entity that united them, that had finally leapt over the sun and become reality.  
  
"We have every advantage!" Ketu cried, a paw slashing through the air. "They will be tired from the journey. We know Chui and this area intimately, it is our Pride Rock. Remember the rewards for each of you if we succeed. Pride Rock is ours, no more snivelling through the barren lands, we can feast on big game every night!"  
  
There were growls of appreciation. Hunger was an old friend.  
  
"Now we rest," Ketu said, leaving his rock and stretching. He drifted out of the cave, gathering up Nala with a single look. Her adoring eyes had never left his profile.  
  
"Tomorrow is a big day."  
  
Simba's group had rested as much as they were able. Now it was time for the battle. Their leader was done with waiting and underhand tactics. Little caution was made to ensure a covert approach to Chui that would have been impossible under the best or circumstances.  
  
Ketu and Simba didn't just share strength, they shared this impatience. Ketu had ordered his band out along the rock lines of Chui, the cold from the night lingered.  
  
For the first time Ketu and Simba faced each other. Yellow teeth bared against golden eyes The latter scanned the line of lions to find a loved figure among them. She wasn't, none of the missing from his pride were.  
  
Suddenly Nala leapt up to Ketu's side, she gave a low purr and rubbed her head into his shoulder.  
  
"I told you to stay out of sight," he hissed. Then he took advantage of her closed eyes to smile. Females always did the opposite of everything that you told them. He had known she would appear, and the beneficial affects of that were only just beginning top be realised.  
  
Simba was wholly absorbed in her appearance, as were those around him, they had stopped focusing on the flanks of the other lions, which now crept stealthily forward and round to gradually encircle the invaders.  
  
It was all that was needed, as the spell broke for Simba he saw what they had fallen into. Seconds later came chaos as the first charge broke out.  
  
It ended in a seething mass of lions, each indistinguishable from the next as tooth met mane or claw met flank. Muffled roars spilt the silence as each side grouped and regrouped.  
  
On a dead blackened tree, black that is except for the white scar of claw marks freshly made, there sat a bird that watched the carnage with interest. His time would come, let them all destroy each other first. With a single flap of his wings he took flight to fetch those of his own kind.  
  
  
  
His return was as quick as the end of the battle. Destiny had favoured the lions of Chui. As the bird swooped low in a steady spiral he saw a legend in the making. The Kidnapped Queen, as she was known to all who called air home, had leapt clear of the foray. The Intruding King had done the same, and was making his way towards her.  
  
"Nala!" It was a cry of despair that both reached and carried the pain of many.  
  
Tiny as she was on the ground, as she turned her unsure state was evident. Her eyes remained locked with Simba's whose sides still heaved from the climb up the sheer rock face to reach her.  
  
A third tiny dot joined them.  
  
"Remember Nala, remember what he did."  
  
A flood, a cub murdered, a best friend gone, no food, cruel king, despair in a pride. All that and more surfaced in Nala's eyes as she looked again at Simba.  
  
It was what happened next that changed everything. Perhaps it was her genuine love of Ketu, who Simba had moved towards, perhaps it was memories of a cruel thing. More likely she was frustrated beyond words at doubting every breath, every step, every look that someone gave her. Simba, with whom so much lies and truth had been based around embodied all this in this strange world she had woken up in. With a scream she leapt full tilt at him, a golden blur from the air.  
  
Simba stood no chance, poised in mid step towards Ketu he was sent flying as Nala cannoned into him. She barely stopped herself from going over as the king of the Prride Lands was sent flying over the cliff in one sudden fatal arc. The ominous sounding noise as he hit the ground reached even the bird in the air.  
  
Then there was a deathly stillness. Yellow teeth gleamed as the sun rose fully into the sky, a new sun, a new era of reign.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
"And that is what it will be like," Ugali told the awed lions sat around him. He may not be the strongest lion, but no one could match him for storytelling. There were murmurs of appreciation at the heartening tale, while they sat sleepily around and waited for Ketu to return from going after that troublemaker Chetu.  
  
And if a lion could have turned pale that's exactly what Dasa, sat as usual in the centre of the band would have done. Instead she laid a heavy head on paws gazing to the horizon that still gave no hope of rescue. 


	9. Claws and confrontations

If a hatsana bird took care to return to pride rock after a day away, say from visiting the waterholes or flying ever farther in the search for the most food, it would find little changed. Save for its own plumage of a dull red, broken at intervals by blue jet black and dull brown, the skies would have remained empty for the three or so days Queen Nala and her band had been missing.  
  
Days that casually stretched themselves into an eternity, taunting the King who paced through them ceaselessly. The skies had not given up Zaza's returning form, and Simba was on the verge of giving up himself. Not on Nala, never on her, but on his prior resolve to deal with this situation carefully, and not with rashness.  
  
Yet now indecision was the new beast that stalked him, as once guilt had done to a cub stripped of innocence, that had fled into parched wastelands. Members of pride were uneasy at the sight of him, even as they looked at him to make some decision. Any decision.  
  
"Simba."  
  
Sarabi found her son staring into the water, where days ago a playful water fight had seemed to be the beginning of a new era for the pride. The aging lioness would have given anything for that son of hers to be restored. Not the shadow that sat before her.  
  
Simba slowly raised his head to regard her, his mane was coated in dust and dried mud at its tips testified to how he had spent the days. Utter dejection was in those eyes that Sarabi had feared facing in her tentative approach. What her son needed was a short sharp shock. Age and a kinship didn't make him any less her son, and she would do what she though best. Being kind and understanding went so far, though she would regret the hurt she was about to cause.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She said sharply.  
  
His eyes widened in surprise. No one had dared to speak loud around him for a while. "I.I was just." His head drooped, if possible, still further.  
  
"Just.sitting around." Sarabi said crisply, casually, padding closer.  
  
Simba settled back on powerful hind legs to regard her fully.  
  
"Yes." There was guilt in there.  
  
"Oh well that's alright then," the lioness threw back. "After all, it's not like you have a queen and other lionesses missing!"  
  
Her son's mouth dropped open, and a sharp intake of breath disturbed the otherwise heavy silence.  
  
He looked at her stunned.  
  
She held her ground.  
  
"You think I don't know that!" Simba yelled, suddenly leaping forward onto a higher walk, away from her. "That I am not constantly thinking of them?!"  
  
It was the mother's turn to intake breath, to steady herself for her next words.  
  
"Mufusa wouldn't have just thought."  
  
The silence immediately flashed from heavy to explosive. Simba wheeled his whole body round to face her once more, every inch of it rigid.  
  
Her words couldn't have hurt more had she physically raked him across the face with her claws.  
  
"What does my father have to do with this?! He's dead, he can do nothing!"  
  
"You are the one who is doing nothing!"  
  
Sarabi was on her feet now, facing her son in what was an uncomfortable stand off. Yet she had to continue.  
  
"Had your father been alive now, there would have been action. None of this deliberating while lives may be lost."  
  
Simba gave an involuntary snarl into empty air, his teeth bared. He leapt back to the flat rock to confront her directly.  
  
"You don't understand! Rash action once cost a life! His life." He wanted to lash out, at someone, anyone. "Not that you would care about that, obviously."  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
Sarabi lashed out and swiped her son across the face.  
  
Simba recoiled back, though he took the main with nothing more than a clenching of his teeth.  
  
"Don't you dare ever say that!" Sarabi continued harshly. "That day I lost Mufusa I was torn in half. Worse, I lost both of you! How can you say I didn't care? If Mufasa hadn't acted then I would have lost one of you anyway!" She eyed him sadly. "It looks like I still have lost both of you regardless."  
  
The highly charged atmosphere remained, but Simba replied wearily, the fight going from his voice.  
  
"I don't know anymore, I just don't. I've acted the way I have as I haven't known wanted to repeat actions which might cost those lives you mentioned." He raised his eyes to meet hers once more.  
  
A gentle look came into Sarabi's features. "Simba, I am not saying what you have done up till now is wrong. To the contrary I was never more proud of you."  
  
His eyes searched hers. "But you said."  
  
She smiled softly, "Only to try and pull you out of this stupor. There comes a time when decisions have to be made, some are just more harder than others. And I know Mufusa would have been proud of you too."  
  
"How can you know that." He sighed. "I've tried so hard to."  
  
"Simba." She interrupted him with a shake of her head, and guided him with a kinder paw to the water's edge.  
  
Slowly Simba peered into the placid water, which was nothing like what he felt inside.  
  
"You can't find your father in a reflection," Sarabi said simply. "He's in you, that's where it matters, and that why you needn't try so hard."  
  
"I was once told that." He looked back at her surprised. "You knew!"  
  
The lioness at that moment seemed wiser than her years, than all ages. "The savannah likes to talk."  
  
"I seem to have forgotten that," Simba said, half to himself.  
  
"What, about the savannah," Sarabi pressed him gently.  
  
"No, about my father, what you said."  
  
"It seems to me that you think of him too much. Oh, I am not saying it isn't right to remember him, but the living are the ones that are truly here for us. Like Nala, she needs you finding her, not sitting here thinking about it."  
  
Something settled inside of Simba, that had been off kilter for a long time. The look he sent his mother said it all, yet she was not quite finished.  
  
"You are not only Mufasa's son. You're mine too," she said softly. You can't let a life slide away while wondering how others think you should live it."  
  
That did it, Simba sprang forward in the knowledge he couldn't waste another moment. However as he went past Sarabi, he pressed his nose into hers to say, "Thank you mother, I needed to hear that." he faltered as if trying to find the right words.  
  
The expression in her eyes told him he didn't need to. He bounded away through grass which suddenly felt less resistant.  
  
She laughed after him, "Where are you going!"  
  
Came back the cry, "To find them! I'll be back at dawn, and Zaza has till then!"  
  
She sat motionless, yet happy, till his form had faded from view. Upon which she turned back to the water, needing to take a few laps.  
  
"At least he's not gone to 'find himself' also," she murmured.  
  
And soon the water's edge was deserted once more as a second set of paws carried their owner away, though at a far slower pace than had the Lion King's. 


	10. A Short Way

It was the second time in his life that Simba had run from Pride Rock.  
  
Or was that towards Nala?  
  
Na-la Nala Na-la.  
  
Tree. Rock. Sand dune.  
  
Her name was etched everywhere in the morning of relentless savannah sun, right into every pound of foot on hard-packed soul, to the echo which broke the penultimate silence.  
  
Yet to Simba something felt right that day, he was finally taking action. No more hakuna matata. He had responsibilities, and to think that this time he hadn't even been running from them, they  
  
Had danced round, tormented, haunted  
  
Him as he did precisely  
  
Nothing  
  
While, and yes, it had to be true  
  
Anything  
  
Could have happened to Nala.  
  
Out here, the far reaches of his, their kingdom stretched into unbroken grass for miles. He knew it was where Nala and her band had been heading for. There was no roiling clouds with a dead, yes dead, father in them that morning, or an unwelcome Rafiki to swipe him with a stick.  
  
Nothing waited behind for him this time  
  
He ran on.  
  
******  
  
Days were passing at Chui, and yet some things remained unchanged. Chetu continued at unease, Dasa at ease, with just about every male lion going.  
  
Zuri and Ketu? Constantly together, as a King and Queen should be.  
  
To Chetu it was horribly like those early days at Pride Rock, with Simba becoming more comfortable with his own kind.  
  
Now that was gone, forever, the minute a paw that even now tenderly stroked the side of the face of the Queen had struck the side of her shoulder to erase her memory.  
  
As easily as a pawprint in a desert wind. Ripples in roiling water.  
  
Unbeknown to anyone their leaders had been making plans. Nala was now not only confident, she wanted revenge on Simba. So it was that morning, mid- morning, she looked with loving eyes up at her true mate. The feeling of possession, and of being possessed in return, was a very powerful one.  
  
They sat, minutes, hours, tails intertwined, his paw on hers.  
  
Waiting.  
  
Ketu as the only source of influence was a danger to any amnesiac lioness. But Nala was never to know that. It was agreed, they were off to Pride Rock, she didn't want to wait until he attacked them first.  
  
Chetu, Dasa were sleeping as they made their move, skulking out of Chui and out under the space of sky Zaza had flown through in as many days. Then, pace was faster, time everything.  
  
It was the second time in Nala's life she had run to Pride Rock  
  
The skies really were empty that morning.  
  
~The End~ 


End file.
